Clarke Quay - The Past In The Present. A Critical Analysis On How Landscapes In Singapore Have Brought About Contestations Of Spaces.
GEK2001/SSA2202
CHANGING LANDSCAPES OF SINGAPORE
TITLE OF PROJECT: CLARKE QUAY - THE PAST IN THE PRESENT
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INTRODUCTION
Ever since independence in 1965, Singapore has been striving to build its nation for its people. According to an exhibition catalogue (10 Years that Shaped a Nation, 2008), instilling a sense of identity and a sense of pride amongst the citizens, as well as binding them together were given great attention as they were important for the survival of Singapore as a rising nation. Nation-building is creating this sense of attachment among the people to the country regardless of the different races, religions, cultures or languages. It is also instilling a sense of identity and pride for the country, binding the people together in the process of doing so. Landscapes have been used as this tool of nation-building and we will be discussing mainly about how Clarke Quay has been used as a tool of nation-building in Singapore.
Clarke Quay is well-known as an entertainment site, yet it is also rich in history, dating back to as early as the 19th century. It was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles who made Clarke Quay into a centre of trade where coolies could be found loading and unloading a plethora of produce and shipments. (Michelle Lee, 2009) It was an ordinary landscape back then, where people lived and worked. However, in 1977-1978, the waters of Singapore River was found to be polluted so badly, by the trading activities and people living there, that the government had to have a massive clean-up of the river to raise the hygiene level of the waters and its surroundings. (Singapore VR, 2008) Major changes have been made through the redevelopment of Clarke Quay, giving us the present-day Clarke Quay, a centre of entertainment and leisure (Wee, 2009).
Clarke Quay has been used as a tool of nation-building through its richness in heritage, it being a source of tourism and economic growth as well as the vibrancy of its night life. However, there were
CHANGING LANDSCAPES OF SINGAPORE
TITLE OF PROJECT: CLARKE QUAY - THE PAST IN THE PRESENT
�
INTRODUCTION
Ever since independence in 1965, Singapore has been striving to build its nation for its people. According to an exhibition catalogue (10 Years that Shaped a Nation, 2008), instilling a sense of identity and a sense of pride amongst the citizens, as well as binding them together were given great attention as they were important for the survival of Singapore as a rising nation. Nation-building is creating this sense of attachment among the people to the country regardless of the different races, religions, cultures or languages. It is also instilling a sense of identity and pride for the country, binding the people together in the process of doing so. Landscapes have been used as this tool of nation-building and we will be discussing mainly about how Clarke Quay has been used as a tool of nation-building in Singapore.
Clarke Quay is well-known as an entertainment site, yet it is also rich in history, dating back to as early as the 19th century. It was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles who made Clarke Quay into a centre of trade where coolies could be found loading and unloading a plethora of produce and shipments. (Michelle Lee, 2009) It was an ordinary landscape back then, where people lived and worked. However, in 1977-1978, the waters of Singapore River was found to be polluted so badly, by the trading activities and people living there, that the government had to have a massive clean-up of the river to raise the hygiene level of the waters and its surroundings. (Singapore VR, 2008) Major changes have been made through the redevelopment of Clarke Quay, giving us the present-day Clarke Quay, a centre of entertainment and leisure (Wee, 2009).
Clarke Quay has been used as a tool of nation-building through its richness in heritage, it being a source of tourism and economic growth as well as the vibrancy of its night life. However, there were
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